In 30 years, you’ll probably be out of a job
If you haven’t noticed yet, robots are coming for your job. Experts predict that in 30 years robots will have taken over most work, leaving lots of humans without an occupation.
According to the United Nations, 30 years from now over nine billion people will roam the earth. One day, a lot of them will wake up with nothing to do.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Would humanity flourish or slip into a communal depression? And of course, the million-dollar question — what the hell are we going to do all day?
Is there something like too much free time?
Weekends are nice. Holidays are great. But imagine a life without any work, and things would get boring pretty quickly. On the bright side, everyone would have a staggering amount of time to express themselves creatively.
So what’s going to happen? There are a few scenarios that make sense.
Potentially we’re looking at the dawn of a creative utopia, in which we’ll use our newfound time to drastically evolve as creative beings. With a limitless amount of free time, you could pick up painting one day and learn to play an instrument the next.
Problems to solve
Unfortunately, there are some roadblocks. One of the most important things we need to figure out is how to distribute wealth equally across all people, as a world without work would also be a world without wages. Spoiler alert: we’re not exactly doing a great job with that today. It’s also problematic that increased automation will initially just offset the replaced workers’ incomes to their bosses, making the rich even richer.
One way to circumvent this is by putting governments in charge of people’s income. Countries like Finland and the Netherlands have announced pilots to experiment with this new kind of basic income, giving groups of test subjects a monthly allowance without asking for anything in return.
But it won’t be easy to get people to accept a flat check, especially when those with a high income suddenly have to give up their wealth. Making that happen will probably take years, if not decades of pressure from governments.
So, should I worry?
Of course, not all jobs will be automated — at least not anytime soon. According to research by the University of Oxford, jobs most likely to be automated include loan officers, receptionists and retail workers. Are you in one of those categories? It might be time to dust off your LinkedIn.
On the other hand, creativity, manipulation and social perception are harder for computers to duplicate. As an oral surgeon, choreographer or mental health worker, there’s less to fear.
But whatever is the case for you, the next time you’re having a bad day at work, just remember — there might be a day you’ll miss it.
